


North

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:30:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is unhappy. Gwaine gives him a shove.</p>
            </blockquote>





	North

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks, issy, for the beta!

Merlin sighed. Another Sunday afternoon. A day where another sucky work day was just hours ahead. Merlin had no clue why he always attracted idiot bosses but this one turned out to be a real wanker, always changing the rules, pretending to not having said what he definitely had and stabbing Merlin in the back when he made decisions to make the job more effective and easier, belittling him in front of co-workers and customers. He needed to get out of there, he knew, but he just couldn’t afford to quit the job before he had another one. Finding something decent was close to impossible these days. 

He switched channels aimlessly , then got up, wandered around the place, stopping in the kitchen to check the contents of the fridge, before he closed it again and sat down on the couch, staring at the TV screen without seeing. 

That Arthur had moved away to take over a branch office in the north didn’t really help Merlin’s bad mood. Not that he had a crush on him or anything, but he always felt better when Arthur was around. 

“You’re driving me nuts, Merlin.” Gwaine looked up from reading. 

“Sorry.” Merlin didn’t really notice that he was getting up again.

Gwaine put his book down. “Don’t even try to tell me it’s your crappy job. Or that it’s been far too long since you had a vacation. You miss him.”

“Huh?”

Rolling his eyes, Gwaine ran a hand through his hair. “I see you checking websites for flights to some faraway destination that you don’t even want to go to.”

“Maybe I suffer from a severe case of wanderlust?” Merlin’s shoulders slumped. Who was he kidding anyway? Gwaine knew him almost better than he did himself. 

“The only place you really want to be is with Arthur. Why don’t you just tell him?”

“And then what? He went away, he won’t come back any time soon.” 

Groaning, Gwaine tossed a pillow at him. “You’re almost as dense as he is.”

Merlin dodged the pillow and looked sad. “Yes, I know. I’m not even capable of kicking over a bucket of water, I’m too stupid to do anything right and the world would be a better place without me.”

“Snap out of it already! You really don’t have a clue, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s so going to kick my arse if he ever finds out…but…he left because it was too difficult for him to be around you.”

Merlin blinked. “Am I so horrible that people can’t stand being around me anymore?”

“He’s right, you’re an idiot.” Gwaine sighed. “He’s in love with you. I have no idea why, but he is. He couldn’t stand being here, going out with us and you not even noticing him.”

“But…I do notice him.”

“Oh, everybody knows. You’re just as head over heels for him as he is for you. But you guys are so deep in your self-pity…’oh woe, nobody loves me’…that you don’t even notice.”

Swallowing hard, Merlin just blinked. Could it be true? Or was Gwaine just having him on. “But…” When he looked up again, Gwaine was standing in front of him, already wearing his jacket, dangling his car keys from his hand. 

“What exactly are you waiting for? Get your skinny arse up, I’ll take you to the train station.”

“Wha…what do you want me to do there?”

Gwaine sighed dramatically. “I’ll put you on the right train. The rest is up to you.”

Merlin was already toeing into his runners.


End file.
